philadelphia daily record

CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH have passed. Yet Phila.’s neighborhoods still glow with festive lights

displays on houses great and small, like The Gables here, a bed-and-breakfast in

University City, where they seem to float magically in winter darkness. On a

larger scale, Broad Street in Center City remains ambitiously lit up for the sea-

son. Story page 8.

PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Shining City

Vol. II No. 207 (367) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia December 27, 2011

Translation/InterpretationArabic, Hebrew, English, French

For more information, call William Hanna

267-808-0287

When You Want Your Roof To Be Done Right The First Time

215-464-6425

2024 S. 10th St

Philadelphia PA 19148

215-468-5363

Meat

& DeliPrego Pizzelle Baker $29.99

Uno Panini Grill $39.99

CANDIDATES • POLITICIANSNews You Can Use!

Boost Your Popularity, Win On Election Day!

Tell Your Constituents To Read About

All the Work You Do For Them On the

Philadelphiadailyrecord.comEmail them a copy of this Publication!

T h e P h i l a d e l p h i aP u b l i c R e c o r d

C a l e n d a rDec. 29-

Friends of Council Majority

Leader-Elect Curtis Jones hosts

“Black Out Party” at 4130 Main

St., next to Manayunk Brewery,

8 p.m.-1 a.m. Dress in black. VIP

Cocktail 6-8 p.m. $1,000 host,

$500 sponsor, $250 VIP, $50

general admission, guest. For

info Dorian Stanley (732) 642-

2163.

Dec. 30-

Kwanzaa Dinner & Show

fundraiser to send 50 students to

Africa at Imhotep Charter HS,

6201 N. 21st St.,7-11 p.m. Tick-

ets $40; seniors and children

under 12, $30. For info Maisha

Sullivan (215) 385-0214.

Jan. 2- Inaugural celebra-

tion for Jewell Williams, Sheriff

of Phila., at Horizons Rooftop

Ballrm., Sheraton Hotel, 17th &

Race Sts. Attire: boots and

denim, and party gear. RSVP

[email protected]

.

Jan. 3-

S. Phila. Tea Party meeting at

Prudential Savings Bank, en-

trance from parking lot in rear,

1834 Oregon Ave., 7 p.m. Guest

speaker. All invited.

Apr. 26-

2012 Centennial Pk. Celebration

honoring Joseph Manko, Ryan

Howard and Vanguard at Phila.

Horticultural Ctr., Montgomery

Ave. & N. Horticultural Dr., 6

p.m. For tickets, etc. Arthur

(215) 988-9341.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

2 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •

• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 3


Governor Announces $41.3 Million

Federal Education GrantGov.Tom Corbett announced Fri-

day Pennsylvania has been

awarded $41,326,299 under the

federally-funded “Race to the Top”

grant program.

The funding will be used to sup-

plement the State’s support of stu-

dent-specific educational choices

in grades K-12, and the current ef-

forts to increase the number of out-

standing teachers working in

Pennsylvania classrooms.

“I know, from my time spent as a

teacher and with my own two chil-

dren, that a one-size-fits-all ap-

proach to education does not create

a successful learning environ-

ment,” Corbett said. “Our students

need quality options that fit their

academic abilities and their aspira-

tions for the future. We must have

educators who are prepared and

capable of meeting the needs of

our diverse student population.”

Pennsylvania joins 22 other states

that have received Race to the Top

grants. The grant will be allocated

over the next four years by the

Pennsylvania Dept. of Education.

A significant focus of this grant

will be used for the statewide im-

plementation of a new teacher

evaluation, which is currently

being piloted in more than 100

school districts, charter schools,

career and technical centers, and

intermediate units. It will also pro-

vide the necessary means to de-

velop a new principal evaluation,

which is planned to be piloted dur-

ing the 2012-13 school year.

“The focus of our grant application

is to improve public education for

every student,” Secretary of Edu-

cation Ron Tomalis said. “The

funds awarded to Pennsylvania

will support the work already

being done by Gov. Corbett and

the department to ensure that, re-

gardless of ZIP code or socioeco-

nomic status, every child receives

an education that provides them

with the opportunity to be success-

ful.”

The new teacher and principal

evaluation is a cornerstone of Cor-

bett’s education reform agenda.

Once developed, the evaluations

will give parents, taxpayers and

school leaders the ability to assess

the quality of individuals tasked

with educating students. Evalua-

tions will also provide individual

teachers and principals with mean-

ingful feedback to help them to

better serve students and increase

achievement.

“The State House of Representa-

tive’s Education Committee re-

cently voted out legislation that

would base a significant portion of

an educator’s and a principal’s as-

sessment on multiple measures of

student achievement,” Tomalis

said. “This is an important piece of

legislation that will benefit all stu-

dents across the state.”

In addition, funding will also be

directed to further develop Penn-

sylvania Standards Aligned Sys-

tem, which provides educators

with valuable tools and resources

to improve student achievement.

Funding will also be allocated to

provide students with greater ac-

cess to quality charter schools and

online curricular options that may

not be available in their district,

especially science, technology, en-

gineering and math courses.”

Half of the grant funding will be

appropriated to local education

agencies, such as school districts

and intermediate units.

In addition to the new Race to the

Top grant, Pennsylvania was

awarded $38 million in September

as part of the Striving Readers

Grant Comprehensive Literacy

Program grant. Under this initia-

tive, Pennsylvania is pursuing a

broad approach to improving liter-

acy outcomes for all children.

In total, nearly $80 million has

been awarded to Pennsylvania to

improve educational opportunities

for students.

Outraged by a recent newspaper

article on the purging of a stagger-

ing number of Medical Assistance

recipients, State Sen. Shirley

Kitchen (D-N. Phila.) today said

she will call for public hearings to

investigate the Pennsylvania Dept.

of Welfare’s process for cutting

costs and rooting out so-called

“fraud and waste.” “We are in the

worst economic times of our life-

time, and instead of strengthening

our resources for the vulnerable,

DPW seems to be kicking them to

the curb,” said Kitchen, who is the

Democratic chair of the Senate

Public Health & Welfare Commit-

tee. “It is the committee’s respon-

sibility to ensure citizens are re-

ceiving access to the assistance

they deserve, and this news de-

mands a closer look by the com-

mittee. DPW must show

accountability for its recent ac-

tions.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer re-

ported on Dec. 15 that 150,000

people – including 43,000 children

– have been cut from Medical As-

sistance since August. Medical As-

sistance provides health care

services for 2 million eligible

Pennsylvanians, the majority of

whom are elderly or disabled. “We

need to see a clear, concise break-

down of who exactly is being cut

from Medicaid and why,” Kitchen

said. “The Corbett Administration

claims it is dropping enrollees who

died, moved, or are ineligible, but

we don’t know how accurate this

is because the administration has

not provided any numbers.”

The 2011-12 State budget man-

dated DPW make more than $470

million in cuts. “In the administra-

tion’s attempts to cut costs, I fear

too many seniors, children and in-

dividuals with a disability are

being denied the access to care

they require,” Kitchen said. “Med-

icaid is supposed to be a safety

net, but instead our most vulnera-

ble citizens are falling through. It

is inexcusable.”

School District

Late On

Payroll Checks

Thousands of teachers, principals

and administrators didn’t receive

paychecks as scheduled. They

were told call the payroll office

today.

The fact this was the first pay-

check to be issued by a new bank

the day before the holiday did not

disturb expected check recipients.

What has bothered many of them

was the fact no one at the District

was available to answer their con-

cerns.



LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5PM (Preview 3PM)

LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM (Preview 9AM)

LIVE INTERNET AUCTION EVERY SATURDAY AT 4PM AT:

www.capitalautoauctions.com To Register & To Bid

3 BIGSALES

WEEKLY

Kitchen Calls For Public Hearings

On DPW’s Actions To Cut Costs



City Offers Natural Hazards PlanThe Managing Director’s Office of

Emergency Management invites

the public to learn about the Natu-

ral Hazards Mitigation Plan being

developed for Philadelphia. The

plan will be rolled out this Satur-

day at 10:00 a.m. through noon at

the Federation Housing Inc.,

Rieder House, 10102 Jamison Av-

enue in Northeast Philadelphia.

Between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m.,

residents will view a series of

poster displays featuring the natu-

ral hazards. OEM will provide a

brief presentation about the devel-

opment of the Hazard Mitigation

Plan at 11:00 a.m. After the pres-

entation, residents will have more

time to review the poster displays

and provide their feedback and

concerns about natural hazards in

their community.

The Natural Hazard Mitigation

Plan will address a comprehensive

list of natural hazards – droughts,

floods, extreme temperatures,

earthquakes, wind storms and tor-

nadoes, hurricanes and tropical

storms, Nor’easters, and severe

winter storms – that may impact

Philadelphia.

In addition, OEM will provide a

risk assessment, which includes

prioritizing the natural hazards that

have the potential of impacting

Philadelphia. The purpose of the

Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is

to reduce or eliminate long-term

risks to human life or property

from natural disasters through

cost-effective and sustained miti-

gation actions.

OEM will continue to hold a series

of meetings through mid-February

around Philadelphia to rollout the

various components of the Natural

Hazards Mitigation Plan. Deputy

Managing Director for Emergency

Management Liam O’Keefe en-

courages the public to the attend

meetings.

Additional Natural Hazard Mitiga-

tion Plan public meetings will be

held Jan. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m., at

Mercy Eastwick Wellness Center,

2821 Island Avenue; Feb. 8, from

6 to 8 p.m., at Free Library Central

Branch Skyline Room on the 4th

floor; and Feb. 16 at Salvation

Army, 3150 N. Mascher Street,

from 6 to 8 p.m.

Sen. Williams Hosts

Christmas Party

AMONG families attending Sen. Anthony Williams Gifts for the

Holidays party at Simeone Auto Museum was Thomas family.

Here Denean Thomas, in wheelchair, is joined by his siblings as he

awaits arrival of Santa.



STATE SEN. Anthony

Williams greets these young-

sters at his annual “Gifts for

the Holidays” Party prior to

Christmas Day. Co-hosted by

Lincoln Day Educational Cen-

ter and Keystone Mercy

Health Plan, event at Simeone

Foundation Automotive Mu-

seum in S.W. Phila. drew over

300 youngsters and families.

JORDAN HARRIS, of Lincoln

Day Educational Center, and

candidate for 186th Legislative

Dist. Seat, checks over lists of

those who were arriving at

Williams’ Gift for the Holidays

Party.

Sen. Farnese Finishes Strong Year-End Fundraising Drive

As the year comes to a close and

Political Action Committees pre-

pare to file their year-end “Cycle

7” campaign finance reports, many

are taking note of the impressive

finish to 2011 for Friends of Far-

nese, the Political Action Commit-

tee of State Sen. Larry Farnese

(D-S. Phila.).

During the Senator’s first three

years of his freshman term, he was

immediately, each year, among the

top 10 non-election-year fundrais-

ers in the city – out of hundreds of

elected officials. However, Farnese



has never gotten his due as a hard-

working fundraiser because he

continued to pay, over those three

years, the hundreds of thousands

of dollars of debt he had from his

2008 campaign. While this ap-

proach to paying his debt may

have kept him from accumulating

impressive cash-on-hand totals, it

allowed him the steadily incoming

funds to pay for staff for Friends of

Farnese, lend financial support to

at least a dozen other political

campaigns, as well as donate to lit-

erally hundreds of community

causes and groups in just his first

36 months.

As the end of 2011 approached, the

Senator began to build his war

chest for his 2012 reelection cam-

paign. In the last 100 days, Farnese

held 11 events, drawing on a di-

verse and deep pool of supporters,

including private events held by

law firms and business leaders; an

event hosted by Philadelphia labor

leaders, including AFL-CIO head

Pat Eiding; a breakfast reception

with Harrisburg power brokers,

and numerous other public events

at restaurants and bars throughout

his diverse district.

This end-of-the-year blitz has gar-

nered some impressive results.

Friends of Farnese eliminated all

of its debt, paid for additional cam-

paign staff to be hired and cam-

paign materials to be purchased,

and still maintains well over

$100,000 cash on hand in reserve.

Farnese’s campaign-finance report

will show a high number of indi-

vidual donations from members of

the Philadelphia region’s business

community, as well as list large

showings of support from a num-

ber of his Democratic colleagues

in the Senate, Mayor Nutter and

outgoing Council President Anna

Verna. The report will also show

an impressive array of labor sup-

port, including large donations

from public sector, building-trades

unions and service-industry

unions.

In addition to all his fundraising

work, last month Farnese was

elected unanimously as the 8th

Ward Leader. With the time for cir-

culating petitions less than a month

away, Farnese seems poised, finan-

cially and politically, to fend off

any would-be challengers.

Brownlee Brunches With Voters

STATE REP. Michelle Brownlee, center, treated residents of her N. Phila. district to an informational

holiday brunch at her office on W. Girard Avenue. Representative answered their questions on Pen-

nDOT and other State services as they partook of a buffet.



Let It Glow! Holiday Lights

Add Delight To Center City!Since Dec. 24, the Center City Dis-

trict has cast a festive array of holi-

day hues on a dozen historic

buildings along the Avenue of the

Arts. These handsome facades are

attractively lit all year long, but

during the special celebrations of

December, the lights will dazzle

with blue, white, green, gold and

red! And on Dec. 31, they will be

transformed into an orange, blue,

magenta, green and red rainbow

that will punctuate the countdown

to the New Year of 2012.

Across Center City, colorful ac-

cents to the skyline will add joy to

the spirit of the season. The Cira

Centre, on the west side of the

Schuylkill River, delighted with

candy-cane stripes on Dec. 23,

switching to red, green, and gold

on Dec. 24 and 25. The nearby

PECO building added words of

holiday cheer with messages that

flash across its crown. Two Liberty

Place is twinkling with red and

green, a popular combination that

also lights up the Hyatt Regency at

Penn’s Landing and Symphony

House on the Avenue of the Arts.

At 777 S. Broad, just down the

street, the popular apartments have

donned the color of Santa’s famous

suit, while the BNY Mellon Center

at 1735 Market Street opted for a

starry white.

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge

spanning the Delaware River will

put on quite a show. From Dec. 19-

25 and Dec. 28-30, the bridge will

light up with red and green. On

Dec. 26 and 27, the bridge is glow-

ing with red, green and yellow.

And for New Year’s, you’ll see an-

other rainbow of color offering

hope and happiness for the New

Year.

“Property owners throughout Cen-

ter City are helping to spread holi-

day cheer through the festive

lighting and messaging on their

building facades, creating an air of

excitement throughout the holiday

season,” said Paul R. Levy, presi-

dent and CEO of the CCD. “As

visitors, residents and workers

walk from place to place, they can

enjoy the unique experience of cel-

ebrating the holiday season in the

downtown.”

Many of the participating buildings

use color-changing LED lighting,

due to its energy efficiency, long

life, its effectiveness in highlight-

ing distinctive architectural details

and its ability to provide program-

mable light shows for holidays and

citywide celebrations at a much

lower cost.

Participating building

managers/property owners include

American Real Estate Partners;

Brandywine Realty Trust;

Delaware River Port Authority;

Dranoff Properties; Hyatt; PECO;

REIT Management & Research;

and the Center City District.



What Was Santa’s Carbon Footprint?by Tom Joseph

Santa has come and gone, making

Christmas magical for boys and

girls around the globe – but what

else has he left behind? A big car-

bon footprint. New research shows

St. Nick’s operation could be more

“eco-friendly” with some fine-tun-

ing.

According to an infographic cre-

ated by Ethical Ocean, an online

marketplace for ethical products

and services, Santa’s 122-million-

mile trip around the world pro-

duced more than 69 million metric

tons of carbon emissions.

Tony Hancock, president of opera-

tions at Ethical Ocean, says with

production, assembly and packag-

ing (and its disposal), the biggest

impact comes from all the toys.

“One of our biggest recommenda-

tions was for Santa to switch to a

recycled-toy-only policy: either re-

gifting toys or giving toys made

from recycled plastic or other recy-

cled materials.”

While Santa’s mode of transporta-

tion could use an upgrade, Han-

cock points out Rudolf and his

friends are to blame for more than

40,000 metric tons of carbon emis-

sions.

“We recognize the sleigh is run on

Christmas cheer, but the reindeer

actually were emitters of methane,

which is 21 times as potent as car-

bon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.”

Next year, Hancock asks moms

and dads and everyone celebrating

Christmas to make a mental note

to seriously consider gifts made

from recyclable materials, as op-

posed to adding more new, shiny

“stuff.”

“If you can avoid buying new

products, or at least think about the

impact that every product you buy

has, we could take things a lot far-

ther on just a personal basis.”

Other ideas to help Santa become

greener include using solar tech-

nology to power his toy workshop

and creating a redesigned sleigh

that reduces wind resistance and

ice build-up. And instead of leav-

ing behind coal for the naughty

children, Hancock suggests giving

them an alternate form of energy

generation, such as a tiny wind tur-

bine or pinwheel.

The Santa Claus exercise is a great

way to look at the real environ-

mental impact of just one holiday,

Hancock says. He hopes people

can learn from Santa’s mistakes

and make similar changes in their

daily lives.

The infographic is available at

http://bit.ly/santagraphic.

philadelphia daily record

Documents

t h e p h i

sheriffof phila

i c r e c o r dc

p h i ap u b

philadelphia daily record2

party gear

politics of philadelphia

funded race